Thursday, August 23, 2012

Late Night Pick: Bahamas

Bahamas, aka indie folk singer-songwriter Afie Jurvanen, will be on a Conan repeat tonight on TBS at 11 PM (repeat at 1 AM). You might find Bahamas pleasing to your ear if you like Wilco, Feist, or JJ Cale.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Dr. Dog, Dar Williams, Wino, Xiu Xiu, Fang Island, Mickey Hart, Drive-By Truckers tix on sale, Steve Vai

Gonna try to do the next two weeks in this one since I will be in the Outer Banks next week, which means no blog next week. I just heard the collective "Awwwwwwww" go up around the Richmond area. Thanks, guys. You like me! You really like me!

We start on Thursday night with alternative pop rockers Dr. Dog at The National. Tix are $20 in advance, $22 at the door. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with opener Cotton Jones. Here's Toby & Zach of Dr. Dog doing "Lonesome" at Pickathon 2012 whatever the hell that is:




Black Girls will be at Balliceaux Thursday night. Show starts at 10 and Madam Macadam will open. It's $5 to get in.

Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 AM for two Drive-By Truckers shows at The National on Friday, October 26 and Saturday, October 27. Get 'em early because they usually sell out. Just saw that you can buy tix on a pre-sale site HERE if you don't want to wait until they go on sale on Ticketmaster on Friday. I just bought my pair for the 10/27 show! Can't wait! DBT! DBT! DBT!

Folk songstress Dar Williams will be at Capital Ale House downtown on Saturday night. Advance tix are $25, day of show they'll be $30. Show starts at 9 with an opener tba. Dar has a new album out called "In the Time of Gods" so I'm sure you'll hear some stuff off of that. Here's her video for "As Cool As I Am":



Sunday night, guitar wiz Steve Vai will be at The National. Tix are $35 reserved seat orchestra / $30 reserved balcony / $30 reserved balcony / $25 GA standing floor. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8 and Beverly McClellan will open. Here's Steve playing "Tender Surrender" at the TEC Awards 2012 which are no doubt awards for guitar wonks:



If you are more in the mood for underground heavy metal on Sunday night, Strange Matter has a bill that will kick your ass, headlined by Wino & Conny Ochs. Tix are $8 in advance, $10 at the door. Doors open at 9, music starts at 10 with openers Josh Small and Dorthia Cottrell. Here's Wino and Conny rocking out but acoustic-like. The video kicks in around 0:17.



Tuesday night at Gallery 5, experimental rock group Xiu Xiu will perform. Tix are $8 in advance, $10 at the door. Doors open at 7. Dead Fame and Ghost Lotion will open. You might dig Xiu Xiu if you like The Cure, Devendra Banhart, Animal Collective or Joy Division. Here's their video for "Born to Suffer":



Hard rockin' Fang Island will play Strange Matter on Wednesday, August 29. It's $10 in advance, $12 at the door. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with openers Adebisi Shank (nice shout out to "Oz" there) and Sports Bar. Here's Fang Island on a cable access show in Chicago the other night being interviewed by a puppet named Ratso and then playing a song and rocking out with some kids:



Friday, August 31, No BS! Brass Band will be at The Camel. It'll be $7 to get in. The show starts at 9 with The Compass Rose Orchestra. Here they are doing "Thriller" a couple weeks ago. The video is dark but the sound is good:



Also Friday, August 31, chill reggae singer/songwriter Trevor Hall will be at Capital Ale House downtown. Tix are $13 in advance, $15 day of show. Show starts at 9 with Session Rockers. When not on the road, Trevor passionately spends his time in Allahabad, India working with the orphaned children of Yoga Vedanta Kutir. Over the past four years, Trevor has helped raise over $15,000 for these children by collecting donations from fans and friends at every tour stop. Here's Trevor's video for "Other Ways":



Finally, on Sunday, September 2, a show I'll be hitting at The National, Mickey Hart, drummer for the Grateful Dead, brings his band to town for some groovealicious world music and tasty Dead treats. Tix are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. No opener because the Mickey Hart Band will play two full sets, bitches! Doors open at 7, show starts at 8. Dave Schools, usually the bass player for Widespread Panic and a Richmond VA native, is playing bass in Mickey's band this tour. HERE is a short review of the show in Buffalo. Here's the band playing "Cut the Deck" in Denver in May:



Have a great weekend and week! I'll see you when I get back at the Mickey Hart Band show!

Tony Jordan

Lightning Bolt @ Gallery 5, Train @ Innsbrook, Late Night Pick: Polica

Tonight, hit machine Train will be at Innsbrook. General Admission in advance is $21.50, GA at the door is $25.  Gates open at 6 and Mat Kearney and Andy Grammer will open. They did a 47 minute show on Monday night after appearing on the Letterman show and you can check that out here:


At Gallery 5 tonight, experimental heavy rock band Lightning Bolt will be appearing along with openers Buck Gooter, Dumb Waiter and NAVI. Doors open at 7, show starts promptly at 7:30. Tix are $13 and if you didn't get them already, you better get there early because the pre-sale sold out and they will only have 25 tickets at the door. Here's Lighning Bolt's "13 Monsters":


Tonight on Jimmy Kimmel Live (who recently announced he'll be moving up to 11:35 PM to take on Letterman and Leno directly), check out alternative pop rock band Polica. For now, Jimmy Kimmel is on ABC and still at midnight. I've been digging this song lately from Polica. It's called "Lay Your Cards Out":

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Matisyahu @ Innsbrook, Late Night Pick: A$AP Rocky

Tonight, Matisyahu, who burst onto the scene as a Hasidic reggae rapper but turned toward secular pop with his latest album, "Spark Seeker", will be at Innsbrook tonight. This will be a co-headlining bill with Dirty Heads. Moon Taxi will open the show a little after the doors open at 6 PM. No Gold Circle seats for this show. General Admission is $16.50 in advance and $20 at the gate. Here's Matisyahu performing "Sunshine" on Jimmy Kimmel Live a month ago:


Tonight on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, much buzzed about rapper A$AP Rocky will perform. Late Night is on at 12:35 AM on NBC.

Monday, August 20, 2012

Late Night Pick: Kendrick Lamar, Tennis, Kimbra, Gary Clark Jr.

Four, count 'em, four bands for the price of one tonight on a repeat (from March) of Last Call with Carson Daly on NBC at 1:35 AM. You'll get rapper Kendrick Lamar (at The National on 9/8), alt-pop band Tennis, jazz pop singer Kimbra (who will have a track on the soundtrack to the upcoming "Frankenweenie" movie along with Grace Potter with the Flaming Lips) and blues guitarist Gary Clark Jr. Here's Gary rocking out with Dave Matthews Band at the DMB show in VA Beach this summer:

Friday, August 17, 2012

Late Night Pick: Lee Fields & The Expressions; Favorite 1990s One-Hit Wonders

Tonight on Last Call with Carson Daly, check out retro soul, funk band Lee Fields and the Expressions. Last Call is on NBC at 1:35 AM.

For some Friday fun, check out the results of the Rolling Stone Readers' Poll for Favorite One-Hit Wonders of the 90's then rock around your office to "Flagpole Sitta" and "You Get What You Give". Though I think they missed "How Bizarre" by OMC. I always liked that one:

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Late Night Pick: The Flaming Lips

Tonight, the wonderfully bizarre and psychedelic The Flaming Lips will be on The Colbert Report (he's on fire this week!) on Comeday Central at 11:30 PM. Their forthcoming album will be called "The Terror" and lead singer Wayne Coyne talked with Rolling Stone about it in THIS ARTICLE. Hopfully, they'll peform a track from it tonight.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Late Night Pick: Santigold; Trey Anastasio @ The National

Colbert Report is on a good run this week with alternative dance diva Santigold tonight at 11:30 PM on Comedy Central.

In local news, tix for a performance by Phish guitartist Trey Anastasio and the Trey Anastasio Band at The National on October 23rd will go on sale August 23rd at noon. Ticket cost will be $39.50. Unfortunately (well, for me anyway), this is the same night Springsteen is in Charlottesville. Springsteen tours far less than Trey so Bruce trumps Trey for me. However, I may try and get tix for Trey anyway in case I don't get Bruce tix (they go on sale in Sept.). Figures that two shows in the area that I would really like to see take place on the same night.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Robert Earl Keen, Lynyrd Skynyrd, No BS! Brass Band, 808, Three Sheets to the Wind

Kind of a slow weekend as the national bands are taking time off after festival season and before fall tours. We do get Austin alt-country master songsmith Robert Earl Keen at The National on Wednesday night. Doors open at 7 and show starts at 8 with local outlaw country band Barstool Heroes so get there early. Tix are $30 Reserved Orchestra 1, $25 Reserved Orchestra 2, $20 Reserved Balcony, & $17.50 GA Standing Floor. The Dallas Observer voted REK's "Feeling Good Again" the #1 Best Texas Country/Red Dirt/Whatever I'ts Called song of the last 15 years. REK stopped by Southern Living to talk about biscuits and play the song recently:



Lynyrd Skynyrd comes to Innsbrook, supposedly for the last time, on Wednesday night. Gates open at 6 PM with an opener TBA. General admission tickets are Advance priced at $16.50, at the Gate $20; Gold Circle Seating tickets: Advance only: $45. Just an FYI, if you aren't a red stater, Lynyrd Skynyrd very much is now. They've recently played on Fox News, played Sean Hannity's Freedom Concert and will be appearing at the Republican National Convention. Here they are back in the day (1976 at Knebworth) playing their anti-gun song "Saturday Night Special". Wonder if they still play it.



If you are home Wednesday night, check out Jesse Malin on a webcast from TRI Studios starting at 9:30 PM ET. Jesse is an indie rock singer-songwriter and you might dig him if you like Neil Young, Tom Waits and Steve Earle. Ryan Adams, Bruce Springsteen, Jakob Dylan and Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day) are all fans and have all helped him out with his albums.

A few local bands playing Thursday and Friday.


Thursday at The Republic, yacht rock cover band Three Sheets to the Wind will not harsh your mellow. The show starts at 9:30 and it's free to get in. Here's the title song from the poster above by the original artists


Also, Thursday night, No BS! Brass Band will be at Balliceaux. Show starts at 10 PM and it's FREE.

Friday night at The National, 808 will play. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with opener Craig Honeycutt of Everything. Tix are $12.50. Here's the press blurb for 808: "The idea behind the formation of 808 was to perform original arrangements of popular songs in a reggae and ska style alongside resurrected originals from Chris Leitch (vocals, keyboards, trombone) & David Triano (guitar), two of the principal songwriters from nineties rock mainstays Fighting Gravity. The band is filled out by Richmond jazz mainstay John Winn (vocals, saxophone, flute and just about any other instrument he can get his hands on) and the rock-steady rhythm section of Greg Hill (bass, vocals) and Keith Cable (drums, percussion). John and Chris front the band with powerful harmonies and "super-hero" horn lines while Dave, Greg, and Keith key the reggae feel of the band's music.
Members of the band have previously been a part of regionally successful bands such as Fighting Gravity, Groove Spot, The Fredds, Headstone Circus and Junkfood Buddha. The band's name -- 808 -- is a tribute to Bob Marley. Triano says that "in the middle of trying to name the band at rehearsal one night, we noticed the time on an old block-style digital clock: 8:08 or 'BOB,' and immediately knew that we had a name."

That's it for the weekend. If anything else comes up, stay tuned to Handful of Brains and I'll let you know. Have a great weekend!

Tony Jordan


Late Night Pick: Grizzly Bear

Tonight watch the brutally funny Colbert Report with special musical guest, indie rockers, Grizzly Bear. Grizzly Bear have a new album, "Shields" coming out Sept. 17. Methinks they'll play a song from it on the show tonight. Colbert Report is on at 11:30 PM on Comedy Central and then repeats a few times throughout the day.

Monday, August 13, 2012

Late Night Pick: Alabama Shakes

We've got an all-new Jimmy Kimmel tonight with Alabama Shakes appearing. Jimmy Kimmel is on ABC at 12:35 AM. In case, you missed it, here is Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes doing a powerful version of The Band's "It Makes No Difference" with My Morning Jacket at the Newport Folk Festival last month. The video below is the second half of MMJ's set so you can skip to approximately 12:21 if you just want to see "It Makes No Difference" :

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Late Night Pick: Tom Waits

Another Late Show with David Letterman repeat tonight and this is the one Tom Waits was on last month which is a fine reason to watch it again. Tom had a bunch of teasers last week that led many to think a big announcment such as a tour or new album was coming. In the end, it was just a new video although the video is pretty cool, crazy, chaotic Tom Waits. Here it is, "Hell Broke Luce":

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Late Night Pick: Trampled By Turtles

Tonight on a Late Show With David Letterman repeat, newgrass band Trampled By Turtles will come out of their shell to perform. Late Show is on CBS at 11:35 PM. Here's .38 Speci....errrr Trampled By Turtles new video for "Walt Whitman" featuring the Squidbillies from Cartoon Network's Adult Swim:

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Steve Miller Band, Dopapod, Headstone Circus, Richmond Jazz Festival, The Dangerous Summer

The original Space Cowboy, Steve Miller, comes to Innsbrook on Wednesday night with all his feel-good 70s rock. General Admission tix are $21.50 in advance, $25 at the gate and children under 10 are free. Gold Circle tix are $45 in advance only and children under 2 are free in there. Music will start around 6:30 with at band to be announced. If you're interested in what the show will bring, HERE is the review from his recent show in Buffalo NY. Here's some vintage Steve Miller Band from 1976 doing "Space Cowboy":



Jazzy groovy jam band Dopapod will be at The Camel on Thursday night. Tix are $8 in advance, $10 at the door. Doors open at 8, show starts at 9:30 with openers Turbine. Here's Dopapod performing "Black & White" (not the Michael Jackson song) in Burlington VT last year:



On the interwebs Thursday night, God Street Wine, one of the bands in the 90's wave of jam bands, will perform from TRI Studios. The webcast will begin at 9:30 PM ET.

Speaking of TRI Studios, if you missed the 70th Birthday Tribute to Jerry Garcia on Friday night, here are 13 songs from the show. I caught about 2 hours of the 4 hour show and really enjoyed what I heard.



UPDATED 5/8: Here is the full four hour show:


You'll be able to check out a FREE webcast of the Allman Brothers Band Peach Music Festival this weekend starting at 3 PM on Friday at Moogis. Not sure exactly who will be on the webcast as the schedule isn't posted but you can probably bet you'll see the Allman Brothers Band both nights. Also playing over the weekend will be Warren Haynes Band, Dumpstaphunk, Dark Star Orchestra, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Toubab Krewe, Jaimoe's Jassz Band, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, Railroad Earth and The Wailers.

Another 90's jam band reunion is going on this weekend and this time it's a band that originated right here in Richmond and the show will be here too! Headstone Circus is doing a reunion show on Friday night at Cary St. Cafe. The show will start at 10 and they'll be playing two full sets. Proceeds from the show will benefit the ALS Association. Not sure exactly what the cover charge will be but expect somewhere around $7.

At The Camel on Friday night, Zach Deputy will get down with his bad self. Cover charge is $10 and the show starts at 9. Here's Zach doing "Tube Steak" at this year's Gathering of the Vibes:



Saturday and Sunday at Maymont (and looks like the weather will cool down for this) the Richmond Jazz Festival will serenade the bears and bobcats. The fest will run from noon until 10:15 PM each day. Single day passes are $50 or you can get a weekend pass for $90. Acts include Robert Cray, Stanley Clarke, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, India.Arie, George Benson, Pancho Sanchez and more.

Emo-pop band The Dangerous Summer brings a big line-up of music to Kingdom on Saturday night. The show will start at 5 PM and it costs $12 to get in. Other bands on the bill include From Indian Lakes, Your Favorite Coastline, Late Night Habit, Wake the Captive, and A Hero Poetic. Here is A Dangerous Summer with their song "No One's Gonna Need You More":



I'll see you at the Headstone Circus show on Friday night. Have a great weekend!

Tony Jordan

Late Night Pick: Grouplove

No, Grouplove is not what I'll be doing late night tonight (you have such naughty minds!), but it's the name of an indie rock band on Conan tonight at 11 PM and repeat at 1 AM on TBS.

Monday, August 6, 2012

Late Night Pick: The Gaslight Anthem

Tonight, catch The Gaslight Anthem on a repeat of the Late Show with David Letterman on CBS at 11:35 PM. The Gaslight Anthem actually did a full, one-hour show on the Letterman stage after their actual appearance on the show. And here it is:

Friday, August 3, 2012

Late Night Pick: Jimmy Cliff, Webcast: Newport Jazz Fest

Tonight, reggae great Jimmy Cliff will be on Late Show with David Letterman on CBS at 11:35 PM. Jimmy recently recorded a five song Daytrotter session. If you want to check that out, click HERE.

This weekend you can watch a live webcast from this year's Newport Jazz Festival from NPR HERE. It'll be on Saturday and Sunday starting at 11 AM. Here is the lineup:

Saturday, August 4

 
  • Bill Frisell plays John Lennon, 6pm
  •  
  • Jack DeJohnette All-Stars, 5pm
  •  
  • Three Clarinets, 4:25pm
  •  
  • The Bad Plus w/ Bill Frisell, 3:25pmDarcy James Argue's Secret Society, 2:25pm
  •  
  • Dafnis Prieto Sextet, 1:40pm
  •  
  • Jack DeJohnette Group, 12:40pm
  •  
  • John Ellis Double-Wide, 11:50am
  •  
  • Pedrito Martinez Group, 11am
 Sunday, August 5
 
  • Tedeschi Trucks Band, 5:20pm
  •  
  • John Hollenbeck Claudia Quintet + 1, 4:40pm
  •  
  • Ryan Truesdell Gil Evans Centennial Project, 4pm
  •  
  • Miguel Zenon Rayuela Quartet, 3pm
  •  
  • Three Cohens, 1:55pm
  •  
  • Rudresh Mahanthappa and Samdhi, 1pm
  •  
  • Kurt Elling, 12:20pmJenny Scheinman & Bill Frisell, 11:50am
  •  
  • Lewis Nash Quintet, 11am

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Late Night Pick: Tenacious D, Will Ferrell

Looks like a comedy fest on Conan tonight. Jack Black and Kyle Gass, collectively known as Tenacious D, will perform. Hopefully, no one will get stabbed. Also, on the show is Will Ferrell, who has been known to engage in a knife fight. Conan is on TBS at 11 PM and then repeated at 1 AM.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

70th Birthday Jerry Garcia Tribute, Delbert McClinton, Black Girls, No BS! Brass Band, Watermelon Fest

Friday night, check out Black Girls with Andrew Leahey & the Homestead and Goldrush at The Camel. Show starts at 9:30 and cover charge is $6.

On the interwebs on Friday, it's the 70th Birthday Tribute to Jerry Garcia on a live FREE webcast from TRI Studios.  This will start at 9:30 Eastern time. Luke Wilson will emcee and performers include Bob Weir, Willie Nelson's son Lukas Nelson, Joe Russo and Jeff Chimenti from Furthur, Mike Gordon of Phish, Paul Simon's son Harper Simon, psychedelic folk musician Jonathan Wilson and Bay Area singer-songwriter Cass McCombs.

Also on the web the whole weekend, Lollapalooza from Chicago. The webcast will start at 2:30 Eastern time Friday through Sunday on YouTube HERE. Performers include Michael Kiwanuka, Dr. Dog, Head & The Heart, The Shins, Dawes, The Black Keys, Jeff the Brotherhood, Alabama Shakes, Fun., The Weeknd,  Tune-Yards, Bloc Party, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Trampled by Turtles, White Rabbits, Gary Clark Jr., Franz Ferdinand, Gaslight Anthem, Florence & The Machine, Jack White and more.

If you like beer, and if you are reading this blog, I assume you do, the Hardywood Hop Harvest Fest will go down on Saturday at Hardywood Brewery. That'll start at 2 and No BS! Brass Band will come on around 3:30.

Delbert McClinton has his make up date on Saturday for a show that was rained out earlier this summer. The show is at Powhatan Courthouse. Gate opens at 6, music starts at 6:30. It's general admission and tix are $12.50 in advance, $15 at the gate. Here's Delbert back in 1990 doing "I'm Gonna Miss You":



DJ Williams Projekt will be at Tobacco Company on Saturday night. Show starts at 9:30 and there is no cover charge. Here's DJ Williams Projekt playing TONIGHT, August 1 at Cafe Diem:



Sunday, it's the annual Carytown Watermelon Fest. Go complain about how hot it is and eat lots of watermelon. It'll run from 10 AM to 6 PM. There's stuff for the kids, some bands will play and you can get adult beverages at the bars. Enjoy!

Sunday night at The Hippodrome, you can catch the aforementioned band No BS! Brass Band, Black Girls along with Tungs, some DJs playing in between sets and a light show. It's $5 to get in and the show starts at 7 PM.


At Bandito's on Sunday night, local punk legends BEEX will play with garage rockers Lonely Teardrops. Show starts at 9 and I don't think there is a cover charge.

Have a great weekend!

Tony Jordan

Late Night Pick: Matisyahu

The recently rejuvenated (and shaved) Matisyahu will be on Jimmy Kimmel Live tonight on ABC at 12:05 AM. Matisyahu's new album, "Spark Seeker", is getting his best reviews in a long time.  Matisyahu will be at Innsbrook on August 21 on a co-headline bill with Dirty Heads.